Longtime beat writers Michael Russo of the Star Tribune in Minnesota and Adrian Dater of the Denver Post have been covering the National Hockey League for 20 years, and they're now teaming up for a weekly podcast called "Inside Hockey with Dater and Russo."

Russo, who has more than 68,000 followers on Twitter (@RussoStrib), covers the Minnesota Wild. He's also active on television with FOX Sports North and Twin Cities-based radio station KFAN-FM 100.3. Dater has covered the Colorado Avalanche his entire career, which has resulted in a lot success reporting on champions and superstars like Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy. Additionally, he's a 6-foot-6 redhead who loves Larry Bird and hockey. Follow Dater on Twitter @ADater.

It doesn't take long for the two rink rats to start going back-and-forth about last year's playoff series between the Wild and Avalanche. Enjoy episode 1 of the brand new podcast, where the guys dive into NHL fighting, rules changes, Stanley Cup favorites and possibility of the league expanding to Russo's favorite place on the planet – Las Vegas.